Chopard Alpine Eagle XPS Review

March 27, 2023

The Chopard Alpine Eagle is the family-owned brand's twist on the integrated bracelet sports watch. It has design cues dating back to the Chopard St. Moritz of the 1980s, as well as a ton of engineering that make it one of the most modern and capable watches on the market. The most popular variation has traditionally been the blue dial, with its unique pattern reminiscent of an eagle's Iris. Then last year we were met with the green dial variant in the 41mm sizing. Today we have a new color altogether (at 41mm), paired with a physical upgrade as well. That's right, Chopard has taken the AE and gone the ultra-thin route, creating a watch that is now just 8mm in thickness (the OG is 9.7mmm thick for comparison). In so doing, it has also adjusted the dial layout, forgoing a center seconds display in favor of small seconds C?and, along the way, excising the date window. Inside the watch beats the chronometer-certified L.U.C 96.40-L movement with 65 hours of power reserve. It's finishing has earned recognition by Poin?on de Genve. Just like the rest of the Alpine Eagle line (in steel), this one is crafted from Lucent Steel A223: an exclusive alloy from Chopard made from 85 percent recycled materials. The salmon dial color, officially called "Monte Rosa Pink," contrasts against the lume-filled, distinctive, applied Roman numeral markings. This watch is not limited and will join the existing Alpine Eagle collection. What We Think I waxed horological about the green dial Alpine Eagle when I had a chance to spend some time with it late last year. And that was literally just a different dial within the normal 41mm range. Here, we get excitement served three ways: dial color, dial layout, and case thinness (oh, and no date). Let's start with the Monte Rosa Pink, which I will refer to as salmon. Coupled with the eagle's iris pattern, I think this looks really nice C at least in the renderings. And while the 4:30 date window of the OG never bothered me personally, I know many of you will be happy to see it removed in this iteration. While I love a center-seconds hand, I do think the small-seconds display looks really nice on here and lends itself to the classicism of the third bit of excitement: the 8mm thickness. I never really considered the Alpine Eagle to be a thick watch but it makes sense, given the sort of market Chopard plays in, that the brand would go for thinness in the AE line. Just how thin is 8mm on the wrist? It'll be on the trade show floor this week at Watches & Wonders, so we'll know very soon.? The Basics Brand: ChopardModel: Alpine Eagle XPS?Diameter: 41mmThickness: 8mmCase Material: Lucent steelDial Color: Monte Rosa PinkIndexes: AppliedLume: YesWater Resistance: 100mStrap/Bracelet: Integrated bracelet The Movement Caliber: L.U.C 96.40-LFunctions: Hours, minutes, secondsDiameter: 27.4mmThickness: 3.3mmPower Reserve: 65 hoursWinding: AutomaticFrequency: 4HzJewels: 29Chronometer Certified: Yes Pricing & Availability Price: $22,500Availability: Immediately Limited Edition: No Shop this story Hodinkee is an authorized retailer of Chopard watches.